Old Tech – A Reminder Of What We Used To Use

A collection of old tech that I used to use.

Computing power gets better and better, or more specifically according to Moore’s Law; the number of transistors on an integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years. I don’t think this really registers with most domestic users. I’m remember buying a PC in the late 1990s from John Lewis and asking advice on two different machines. ‘That one is faster’ was the answer. ‘What’s fast?’ I asked. The salesman didn’t really have an answer. Most laptops and desktops you can buy today are fit for purpose. Even if you’re a film editor or music producer most machines can cope. There’s obviously the higher end of the production that will want to work with 4K video and thus will need higher resolution screens, a big lump of processing power, loads of RAM and a decent graphics capabilities. But even the entry level iMacs (not cheep computers I grant you) can cope with these demands.

The machines in my collection are a long way from this sort of power but at the time seemed totally revolutionary. The iPad outstrips the combined computing power of the devices on the wall. Read on for more specifics.

 Sinclair ZX Spectrum

8 Bit computing with a choice of Memory: 16KB / 48KB / 128KB

Image curtesy of Retro Games Now

Daily Thompson – Track And Field!

You really had to have been there to know what the title means. But talk about a physical aesthetic. The famous rubber buttons are one of the first things people remember about the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Repeatedly tapping two keys to make a stick character run was the height of entertainment.

I’ve no idea – Old Tech!

Another find from Deptford Market. I think it’s a resistor tester. One way to find out was to take it apart and have a look inside. But the screw head at the front has been wax sealed and I couldn’t bring my self to break it.

Here’s a gallery of some of the tech I have at my studio.